When Bess O’Brien organized a writing workshop in 2014 for people recovering from addiction, she was hoping to continue gathering stories from St. Albans residents some of whom are highlighted in her 2013 documentary film, The Hungry Heart.
Since then, O’Brien and Gary Miller have led writing groups across the state that have helped guide dozens of Vermonters through the challenging process of recovery.
At each Writers for Recovery workshop, participants respond to writing prompts and share their work.
“We have people in these workshops who write down and read aloud things that they’ve never told their therapist,” Miller says.
Each group holds a public reading event at the conclusion of their workshops, and the project has published two volumes of participants’ work.
Starting next week, VTDigger will present a new podcast from Writers for Recovery. In each episode, listeners will hear workshop participants read their own work. O’Brien and Miller selected the pieces for the series, and Erica Heilman, from Rumble Strip Vermont, produced the recordings.
In this week’s Deeper Dig, Bess O’Brien and Gary Miller talk about how they’ve seen writing change lives. Plus, we’ll share a special sneak preview of the first Writers for Recovery podcast.
Subscribe to the Deeper Dig on iTunes.
Look for the Writers for Recovery podcast on VTDigger starting next Tuesday, September 18. Subscribe now to receive new episodes as soon as they’re released.
